The Death of the King
by Mugiwara no Eli
Summary: a struggle against fate. after that, no comment. more detailed summary included inside.


**The Death of the King.**

_Author's Note_

_Dear Reader,_

_Let me just apologise for doing this. This is an extract from an RP-OS (role play one shot) and I can't resist knowing what other people think. The whole RP-OS is much longer, but it concerns an OC, so I'm not going to post the thing in it's entirity, only the part that concerns the most troubling question that has been playing on my mind: how will OP end? so far, I'm still unable to answer that. But I think this fits ok, even if I nearly cried writing it. no joke._

_ A brief run down on the story so far, to my way of thinking. The Mugiwara have been sailing for nearly forty years. They found One Piece, Gol D Roger's original flag which is presented to the crew that makes it to One Piece's location in one piece. Luffy has been Pirate King for 25-30 years, and has named his niece Lanai (Ace's daughter) his successor in that at the time, he a) didn't have a son and b) Lanai was the eldest mugiwara child and his relative._

_ The story is told through the eyes of Usopp's grandchild, Meggy. Mugiwara is going into a third generation._

_ So technically, OP'll never end in this rp! Oh noes! But yays!_

_Hope you enjoy._

_Eli-chan_

The development of kairoseki bullets was a stroke of genius by the world government. It was also a terrible danger for the rest. In our case is was simply because it was almost impossible to tell if they were kairoseki or not, bar touching them. So Luffy's usual trick of bouncing them back was out of the question. It was impossible. Yeah, Luffy'd been shot. Though, thinking back, he didn't seem to be in pain.

It had been an intense fight. An ex-marine trying to regain the credit his name had lost, we later discovered, had tried to take on the mugiwara. Not a bad idea, considering. He'd gathered up a small band of followers, though they still outnumbered us by at least three to one. Naturally we fought for our lives, for our freedom.

No one quite knows what happened, nor did anyone see who shot the gun. All we know is that someone shot at Charlie. But the bullet never hit its target. It was as though time stood still, just for a moment.

Luffy stood in front of his son, arms outstretched as though he was expecting to repel the bullet at any minute, a red flower blossoming on his chest. He coughed and blood spattered the grass of the deck.

"Papa!" Charlie screamed, seeing the sticky red ropes dripping from his father's chin. Everyone else turned and once they knew something was wrong, beat up the rest of the enemy, who fell easily. Finishing the skirmish quickly, we all ran back to Luffy, too late to heal him, but soon enough to catch his last words.

"Don't cry, you're gonna be pirate king, right." He grinned and it was with that expression that he parted for the life after life. Gran fainted, I think from the death of a nakama. Oniichan said later, when describing how his soul left his body. "He looked younger. Like the others. They all look the exact same as they did in the photo album."

That night, Charlie was inconsolable, not eating and locking himself up in his room. No one had the heart to disturb him. He was only 15.

But, during the night, something amazing happened. A bizarre miracle. Luffy's body changed. We noticed next morning. Zoro had taken the captain's body to the infirmary so that Chopper could prepare it for the funeral next morning. We guess that it was a slow process, because next morning, when we'd gotten everything ready for the funeral, Chopper went into the infirmary to get our captain and send him to sea in a small boat. Like they'd done with every nakama. The mentality: the sea gave everything: adventure, food, water, life, so we must repay her with the bodies of those she sustained. It was an awe-inspiring concept and it made sense.

I was standing beside Mum, between her and Granny. I held Mum's hand, I held Granny's skirt. She put a hand on my shoulder. I was only five. I'd never seen everyone this sombre. Suddenly, Chopper screamed. No, not screamed, yelled. Men don't scream.

Everyone stampeded for the infirmary. I was nearly knocked over, but Granny picked me up, giving me a piggy back. Unlike Oniichan, I've always been small. Small and frail. The runt. I've gotten a lot stronger since then.

When we got into the infirmary, Luffy's body had vanished. Under his hat, which we'd agreed to bury him in, was a large blue ball, covered in little squiggles, like a wave.

Great Aunt Tsuki ghasped.

"A Devil's Fruit." She said. "The Gomu Gomu no Mi!" that shocked everyone.

"You're sure." She nodded.

"I know the shape and design anywhere, I looked it up in the encyclopaedia of fruits."

Apparently, that explained a lot.

General conclusion: only one person could eat a particular fruit because they then became that fruit. Brook's was different in that his power was to re-live, so he therefore had to die like everyone else.

"What do we do now?" the question hung in the air, like the smell of Sanji's cooking in the kitchen. Only the sound gave the air an empty ringing noise. It was awful.

Surprisingly, the one who answered the empty noise giving question was Charlie. In solemn silence, he walked up to the hospital cot Zoro had put his father on the night before. He picked up the straw hat that had made his father famous, placing it on his head.

"I know this should be Lanai's." he said. "But, Papa, I've always wanted to follow your path. I've always wanted to be like you. You're my hero, Papa, you're amazing."

This small speech seemed to make an awful lot of people upset, and I felt a lump come to my own throat.

Slowly, Charlie turned to face Lanai.

"Keep it." she said. "It's your birthright." She let a tear slide down her cheek.

"Thank you."

Then it was like a photo. No one moved, no one said anything then a small voice came out from beside Dad.

"Charlie nii." Oniichan called out. "Eat it."

"Baka!"

"Teme!"

"Aho!"

"Gaki!"

"Kaoru, shut the kid up!" Dad blushed, looking at Oniichan. He, however, took the verbal abuse like it was no more than a light drizzle. He stared at Charlie with determination. He stood weirdly, differently, not-oniichanly.

"If you're that set on following me, Charlie." He said. He sounded slightly different too. "eat the fruit, use it, become strong." He grinned and then fainted. Dad caught him just in time.

The insults stopped.

"Possessed." Lanai said grimly. Everyone nodded.

Charlie, knowing full well this wasn't some kind of joke; he'd lived with Circe too long, turned to look at the large ball. He picked it up and took a bite. He winced. "It's disgusting." But he persevered.

That day had been dark. For me, even if it wasn't for the others, this one was worse.


End file.
